Air-cooling apparatus.



' W. H. CARRIER. AIR COOLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1912.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

fnvenz an' zii W. H. CARRIER. AIR COOLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN.19, 1912.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fl 7 o W WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW J A k/W .W F U fl l/L E 3 1/ Wm WILLIS H. CARRIER,

or BUFFALO, new ronx, assienon 'ro BUFFALO none COMPANY, or nurrano, NEW roan.

AIR-COOLING APPARAIUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 19, 1912. Serial No. 672,152.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS H. CARRIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buflalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Im rovemcnt in Air-Cooling Apparatus, of

\ WhlCh the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in apparatus for cooling and dehumidifying or drying air, the object thereof being to roduce an apparatus of large capacity W ich can be installed at comparatively small expense and which will be economical in operation and of high efiiciency.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2

is a lan view, partly in section, thereof. Fig. is an end elevation, partly in section, thereof.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents. a casing of any suitable construction whic is partitioned to provide in its upper portion an air coolingor spray chamber B and below the Same, a tea ter cooling or refrigerating chamber C. The spray chamber is open at one end b for the entrance of air and connects at its 0 posite end with a passage D, also re erably formed in the casing A, which eads to a fan or air propelling device E by whichthe air is caused to pass through the air cooling or spra chamber B and is delivered to a require place. The air does not pass through the liquid coolin chamber 0.

15 represents spray nozz es ada ted to discharge cold water, or other coo ing liquid, in the form of a very fine spray or mist into the spray chamber so that the air assing through the chamber will be broug t into intimate contact with the cold liquid and will have its temperature lowered thereby. The nozzles preferably discharge in a direction in opposition to the flow of the air, as a more complete saturation of the air is secured in this way. After contact with the liquid spray the air passes through an eliminator G, which separates the free moisture from the troughs and runs from the air. The eliminator may be of any suitable construction, but preferably consists of upright parallel zigzag plates between which the air passes and on the surfaces of whichthe moisture collects. H represents baffle plates arranged in the entrance of the spray chamber for distributin the air equally throughout the spray cham r.

The. liquid, which collects fromthe s ray nozzles and eliminator in the bottom oi the spray chamber, is discharged therefrom into the up er part of the cooling chamber (3 and flows ownwardly over suitable cooling coils or pi es 1 in the cooling chamber, being (mole or refrigerated by a cooling medium which circulates through the cooling coils. The spray liquid collecting from the cooling coils inthe bottom of the cooling chamber is pumped backfto' the spray nozzles and used again- Cooling coils of any suitable kind can be used, such for instance, as the ammonia coils ordinarily employed in refrigerating apparatus. The means for circulating and condensing the ammonia, which are not shown, may be of the usual construction. M

In order to distribute the spray liquid uniformly over the cooling coils and thereby equalize'the work thereof, apparatus shown, delivered from the spray chamber B by pipes 70 into distributing troughs K whlch are arranged in the upper part of the coolin chamber, one over each vertical tier of be cooling coils I.- The distributing troughs are of substantially V-shape, having vertical walls with serrated upper edges. The liquid overflows tical walls, thereof, dripping from their lower edges onto the cooling coils, over which it flows downwardly bygra-vity'. The pipes It dipor liquid seals are otherwise provide to prevent the temperature of one chamber'bein communicated to the other. The distributing troughs shown are not new and these or any other suitable means for distributing the spray liquid over the cooling coils can be used.

in the apparatus shown, a motor driven down the verintothe liquid 1n the troudghs,

it is, in the pump L draws the spray liquid from a settling tank in the bottom of the cooling chamber C by a suction pipe Z and forces it to the spray nozzles F through a discharge pipe Z, so that the liquid is circulated and repeatedly used. The suction pipe Z is provided with a mixing valve M which is con: nected by a branch pipe m with the bottom of the spray chamber, so that by appropriately adjusting the mixing valve the cold liquid from the cooling chamber G and the Warmer liquid from the spray chamber B can be mixed in any proportions necessary to obtain a desired temperature of the spray liquid. The mixing valve can be operated by hand or automatically under the control of a thermostat, as may be desired.

In the use of the apparatus, the fan draws the air through the spray chamber B, which is filled with the fine spray of cooling liquid, so that all portions of the air are brought into intimate contact with the spray which cools the air and causes its moisture to be precipitated. The spray liquid and the free moisture taken from the air, which collect in the bottom of the spray chamber, fiow by gravity into the cooling chamber C over the cooling coils therein, whereby the liquid, which has been warmed by contact with the air, is again'cooled to the proper temperature. The required temperature of the cooling liquid is maintained by adjusting the mixing valve M to mix the liquid from the spray chamber and fronrthe cooling chamber in proper proportions.

By the described construction and arrangement of the apparatus the air is brought into direct contact with the fine spray of liquid and a much'more intimate and thorough contact of the air with its cooling medium, and consequently a much higher efiiciency, is thus secured than can be obtained by passing the air over cooling pipes or surfaces. A larger volume of air can be cooled to a given temperature than in a chamber of like dimension provided with cooling pipes, and less resistance is ofiered tot-he passage of the air. The spray nozzles are also lessmxpensive than cooling pipes. Since the spray chamber is located over the cooling chamber the water flows by gravity over the cooling pipes, and a pump is not required to lift the water to the top of the cooling chamber, as would be necessary except for the location of the spray chamber higher than the cooling chamber; and the water is more eflioiently cooled by causing it to flow in thin films over the cooling pipes than it could be by cooling pipes submerged in a body of water in a cooling tank.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a casing divided by a transverse partition into an upper spray chamber through which the air passes and a lower liquid coolchamber and the condensed moisture, pipes extending from the bottom of said spray chamber, the ends of said pipes being immersed in the water in said distributing troughs whereby, a water seal is formed between said spray and cooling chambers to prevent the passage of heat from one to the other, and means for returning the cooled liquid from said cooling chamber to said spraying means, substantially as set forth.

2. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a casing having a vertical partition dividing ofi' a portion of the casing at one end thereof, and a horizontal partition dividing the part of the casing at one side of said vertical partition into upper and lower chambers, the end wall of said upper chamber having an air inlet formed therein, the opposite end of said upper chamber opening into the space divided off by said vertical partition, spray devices located in said upper chamber, liquid cooling coils located in the chamber below said horizontal partition, connections from the bottom of said upper chamber to the upper portion of said lower chamber, whereby the spray liquid flows by gravity from said upper chamber downwardly over said cooling coils, means for returning the cooled liquid from said cooling chamber to said spray de vices, a fan located adjacent to said casing, and a connection from the suction side of said fan to the lower end of the part of said casing divided off by said vertical partition, substantially as set forth.

3, In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a casing having a horizontal partition therein extending part way across the casing and dividing the same into upper and lower chambers, the front wall of said casing above said partition being open and having baflie plates mounted therein, a vertical partition mounted in said casing and extending up to the rear edge of said horizontal partition, said vertical partition shutting off said lower chamber from a vertical air "space at the end of said casing, an eliminator comprising upright eliminator plates mount- Ill ed at the rear end of said upper chamber and 7 between the same and said vertical air space, spray pipes having spray heads in said upper chamber arranged to discharge toward the baffle plates at the front of said. chamber, liquid cooling .coils mounted in said lower chamber, connections from the of said vertical air space, substantially as bottom of said upper chamber to the upper set forth. 1o portion of said lower chamber, whereby the Witness my hand, this 16th day of Januspray liquid flows by gravity from said ary, 1912.

5 upper chamber downwardly over said 0001- WILLIS H. CARRIER.

ing coils, means for returning the cooled Witnesses: liquid from said lower chamber to said spray RICHARD C. WILLIAMS,

pipes, and an air outlet at the lower portion Howm 0. RICE. 

